Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-11-16

He Deeends Ms Csurue ln'
the Omaha Cases.



WasrEgxun. Nus. Is lK--Cumuiwsene
Wm. A. J. 6parks, of tho Qsnerni lsnl
ofzoe, tits afkaEnonn pzE1nnnIIN Ha1fp
enad 90 ths EDn1idnut ahe foIio1fnR la
~, defendIna he course n The Okfea
90. Sc. Paul. Mlnnnapolis and Onah1
Railway lznd grant en-, and then "a.
mally Es119nea his ul1ns.
The non1Eahie 1eeretAFy of tho d
taEi1E adsigsB ne. b 3 lotf1r dalsd u
ll1h inst-. IN e6eok that he shculd q
ieaf data pEsssnf % yon the alternative
Of n1i8eiimR Q nsW sooleeaEY az ths II
t1riag oE q msw onmminH7nneP .nf IN
general land ofnna. Under the al
th0EiGy vested In TIE oommisHinneR n
1887, namde ediu1tments oe eaEfnin rnil'
Eua4 lam9 aEantG. % two of wA1ah
knawn ns tes Omaha caseA hAd heaE
zpssially dirag.sd b ths sss1slaEy ton
On oosober :. 1851. tuo dssluions e.
tie secretary weEo rendered n tha
Omaha casss n-c1neDKrinR d ny cd
teBtmeuts and 0geExulfne TIE auihoEiiy
% which thsy wose basSd. Ha diroul-
ed ne at the sane tins % cnuns he
grants . b ndiasted Ia aonl1rmitg
aith the aaid deaisiuna. / nnH lufrr
from biz puhliHheG letteg thal thsas De-
aislona wsss not approved b. the on
eial law adviser o. Che department. Of
he interior. Iha polnf 6 issue related
10 fhB einiw o1 he FaillDon companies
10 indemnify for lands that under ne
granting @ct8 were reserved
from tha operation Of th0Ga ncaa hy fhe
axpEaaa terms of the n1ntntna.
Previous 10 1875 the lands that had
BEEN reserved by the government far
Lndian and other UuEponss ha6 bean
or oerti6ed 90 ne oonpanisa,
both e granted lands and - Indemnity,
pFomissnouEiy With othoF lAnda. This
Iesms 10 have bean dons IN paEguAnoe
y tha pEas1ies Of giving Ne EailEoaa
,0mpauieB Wha1sTeR they n1ked for, np-
,aEently Without much oonaideGation a
be restrictions and limitations Of The
lFanta. In that year tiils 10 z large
I5antity Of such lands In the a1afs Of
Kansas, whish has beon eFroneo1sIy
'0aseged % The LseaVenWoFth, Law
: nos and 0aigosion railroad comuany,
re decided invalid By she Unitsd
Ssstes enpremn Court. Since thai date
be lands that we're reserved % the date
4 the grant or the date Of The definite
oeaki0n cf he r0ada have been regard
a and treated b the docisi0ns and
lEaetiee at this efl1oe and 0epaxtmena
Q exesu6ed, not only from al grants,
,ut from indemnity. The hasis under
II grants wherever such reserved lan6a
Re by tha teEms ok Law sexnin6od fenm
- 49,. - fha anar -
"The eeesstaRy hsld IN ths Omaha
aees thae he oompany wes elaitled %
DdsUni1Y for eash lands. This d.
lsion. Il adhered b, vii have TIE
ffeot 70 take from the peopls many
nillion aerss Of land Wilhln raIHoa1
ndsnnlty limits which b. your advice
nd With your approval a. expreGBed h
be Guilgor6 Miller ease have hesn pro-
laimsd 10 the country 90 restored 10
be public domain
'sTha question Of The correceness Of
hese decisions become therefore q mat
Or Of momentous concern. II they
declared the Law these lands
elonG 20 the railroad company. II
hey did not ooKFoctly declare the Law,
be lands belonged 10 the people. The
,maha decisions puFportB 20 b found
q upon q decision OF the supreme
curt IN the cass Of The Winona and Dt.
'eter Railway Company ". Barney, TIE
sseFtion being made THAI she splain
Of the court In that case seams
} be conclusive Of NE questions pre-
sntsdF and also upon & certain rule of
Iafuiogy inteEpEetallon relied upon e
einQ a axiom Of construction.
i IA, :. anfN l.mf~f<~nn ou.s~. ermk1.nu -.
,Fsed by refeEenoe 70 an unFepoEted De-
sion Of she United States circuil court /
" Wisaonsin, which wae SAID On Ne
'nahA eaes6to be iadiciai construction
hieh seemsto leave no further Room
IA ooourrsd 10 ne that ths decision
the supreme court IN tho Barney ease
IS absolutely silent upon tA1 question
ecided In the Omaha Gases and that
% even an ohiteE of The court gn11Ains
le degigiona.
aIt also appeared b ne that the
1asticn at Issue was uot u the case d.
Ided by The oisuuit oouFt for Wisconsin
ID it seemed thal The rule 81 statutory
stsrpsstation adopted 10 the Omaha
sses Waa tie opposite Of the ruis Of |
instruction adopted By The courts end
ID doun By TIE taW writers. ! was
lerefoEs profoundly convinced that he
,oEetarY had been committed b errors
la9 which, Il brouahl fully to hia
sFsonnl altenAion, might Be ooKEec1ad. /
rs Il The prnetioe Of the DopaElment
, permit che representative ok snilHuad |
5mranfes and othsE pEtvate iulerssts
} apriY for reviews and Eooun9l0aEA-
- 80 Anms.fm.n ~a.mn snmnmNI.as.m 49,
eeided againnt auph Interests. I Be-
eyed thai O. IN o1ioeF of the govern
,sna, having The imme6iais guar6iEn-
Afp q The lands and Immediate charge
the issnanee of patents under el NE
rants Of land, ] had e Isast quiks The
snse RiRha e representative of pFi-
sts lntslos1z - ash The Secretary % @.
zamlne ~ dapaxtmon1al decision, an6
beIfsvod u eaDecialiy proper 70 express
~ yiewn % ths HooEotnxY d these
isss bssanss had nol but oonld have
one 90 % Tie oEiRinal in11anee, II ] had
nffaluaked q ehenrs nf ruling and d.
Iaion upsn the point IN quesiion.
s.AeaaF&inRiy ! peEg1anlly expIenlod
" desire 10 tha secretary 20 have 10
isw of thn doeisions ID 6hese caDoa He
aesezasd 20 me 70 lee the matter raGl
d he present., IN which suggestion
aequfsscsd. The formal ap-
licasion for Q review osnghgd IN tbs
,ogt respectful tnrnu wan eomplet8d
beat Oc6obeE 2s, bzf Was NOS made
nblic. On EoEumhsF 10ih resolved
ots from The aeero1axY onaiEing ne %
rassnt What hnd 10 say upun this mh-
81. Hg le11at wna aooogdInT1y oeti4-
red % him On the 11th inst., with tie
change Of dats and othsF
urFectisna has had been mado. A
opy q ths lseteF q herewith enelossd
Or yeuR inspso1ians
ssxsEaI impoEsau1 qasstio1s wsEe de-
ided in he Omaha oasss other than
ian tha CO rsfsErsd 70 harsins bue !
uafned ny eppiiention fog . rsview b
- aasstion q indemnify for tbs lands
xnlnAad frum the 0peFat10n of TIE
Ir1nfsnR mnaa, that hsing os oweTahnd-
'winR impursnnoa. In preeenfinR ehae
vxpknnat5on / informed the EesEs4mEy
haa 10 would not BE- mode yuhllo unless
y hfmssaf. Rub1lo aeentinm having
lrw ben eails6 30 the matters. ahall
al at liberty b FURNISH ths pRsas VIII
eauy sf shis lsitss aftaK q has hasn
lsmnunicaasd % yOu and . copy trans-
aiiasd 30 him.
aThs issae satasd b ne was striotly
q he lAns of haGai afEunenE Il ne
sttsF a1Arsansd 90 ne thai issna = nns
nsf. a1d aha efsci has been % ers1fs
q efra0auua iupEeg1iou Ehat tha fssus
rs one of au1hoEi1y aiuBa, sn1 thaa 4
- rafuERo % exurula fhs HNelNlaRHln